The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume (Paperback)

Description

With its rich golden hue, art decoinspired bottle, and timeless, musky scent, Chanel No. 5 is the worlds bestselling perfume and arguably the most coveted luxury product of the twentieth century. In The Secret of Chanel No. 5, Tilar J. Mazzeo offers a fascinating account of No. 5s creation, its rise to iconic status, and the legacy of its extraordinary success. Mazzeo delves deeply into the life of Coco Chanel, the brilliant, controversial, and steel-willed businesswoman at the heart of the fragrance. She walks the rose plantations and jasmine fields where the perfumes life begins, and travels to 31 Rue Cambon, the center of the Chanel empire. A blend of evocative history and thoughtful research, here is a glittering account of where art and sensuality mingle with dazzling entrepreneurship and desire: Chanel No. 5.

About the Author

Tilar J. Mazzeo is a cultural historian, biographer, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Widow Clicquot. She lives in northern California, New York City, and Maine, where she teaches English at Colby College.

Praise for The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume…

“[Mazzeo] explores interconnections between designer and perfume, teasing out the relationship with delicacy.” -New York Times Book Review

“[In] the skilled hands of cultural historian Mazzeo, [the perfume] becomes a magnificent window through which to understand [Coco Chanel] and her milieu... Impeccable research and crafting make a seemingly narrow topic feel infinitely important.” -Kirkus Reviews

“This is one case where historical fact eclipses the legend and lore of the object itself—there’s much, much more than meets the nose to discover in these pages.” -Booklist

“Engaging.” -Wall Street Journal

“Mazzeo’s lush prose...never bogs down in the details—despite the extensive research showcased in the bibliography—and a smooth pacing keeps it moving along at a fast clip. This work is definitely recommended to lovers of 20th-century cultural history, Coco Chanel, and, of course, the world’s best-selling perfume.” -Library Journal

“Mazzeo has written an account of the rarest of things-an international olfactory icon-that fairly rushes off the pages. Here is the life of one of the 20th century’s most interesting and deeply complicated women, a fascinating cultural history, and the story of an extraordinary perfume.” -Chandler Burr, New York Times scent critic and author of The Perfect Scent

“The true brilliance of The Secret of Chanel No. 5 is Tilar Mazzeo’s ability to take a subject one would never have thought possible to think very deeply about and then cover it so captivatingly. Who knew that such a tiny bottle housed so many secrets?” -Michael Tonello, author of Bringing Home the Birkin

“Anyone who’s ever dawdled in front of a perfume counter will love Tilar Mazzeo’s fascinating history of the perfume known simply as No. 5; her rich and witty account is as compelling as the fragrance itself. ” -Karen Karbo, author of The Gospel According to Coco Chanel